Show review: Breaking Bad - you meth me crazy

Five seasons on, satisfied Breaking Bad fans bid farewell to the meth mogul.

In what seems to be an unwritten rule for television shows, most TV dramas (see: Heroes, Lost, or 24) tend to peak within their first few seasons, eventually losing steam as they approach the finish line. When the fifth and final season of Breaking Bad was announced, fans doubted that anything on television could top the near-perfect equation presented by the fourth season of the show.

They were dead wrong. Breaking Bad, of course, broke all rules and followed an altered, more ‘organic’ pattern.

Produced by Vince Gilligan (The X-Files), the AMC crime drama began as an interesting show about a troubled chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who is devastated after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. To generate cash flow to fund his cancer treatment and secure his soon-to-be-widowed wife’s future, he enters dangerous and illegal territory.

White partners with a former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to use his scientific mind to produce and distribute a pure form of the illicit drug, methamphetamine. The business soon takes off as the duo teams up to produce the highest quality meth in the world, getting them into trouble with drug dealing competitors and the law.

In classic Breaking Bad style, the series continues to explore the consequences of a life of crime, especially inadvertent ones. Fantastic acting along with nail-biting suspense, action and character growth kept fans hooked effortlessly until the finale.

Cranston convincingly sheds his comedic image of the nice dependable father from Malcolm in the Middle, as his character becomes an all-round bad boy, adopting the feared street name of Heisenberg. His tremendous growth into the role is one of the most striking successes of the show. Stripped of almost all of his humanity, morphing into a manipulative and violent beast, he is barely recognisable from the warm and loving father of the first season.

Even though he was guilty of occasionally over-acting in the beginning of the series, with shades of his previous comic role slipping through, he became a natural as the show progressed. Using subtle facial expression to convey strong emotions, he eventually mastered the complexity of the character. Now that Cranston is done with the show, one almost aches to see him play more villainous roles on a grander scale.

Along with unforgettable characters, Breaking Bad showcased stellar cinematography, featuring parched desert landscapes through dry lens filters, designed to make viewers feel thirsty just from watching the show.

Highly recommended, Breaking Bad has certainly raised the bar for TV drama and Sunday evenings for those hooked onto this meth-cooked thriller will no longer be the same.

From dregs to riches

Weeds



Weeds is a dark comedy show revolving around a mother who deals drugs to support her family after the sudden passing of her husband. Her sons are soon sucked into the mess of marijuana dealing and their lives take many twisted turns. Weeds ended in September 2012 after completing eight seasons and winning two Emmy Awards.

The Wire



A show written by a former police reporter, The Wire encompasses all aspects of the city of Baltimore, including illegal drug trade. It premiered in 2002 and ended in 2008 after completing five successful seasons. Though it never won any major awards, the show was highly appreciated by critics and fans.

Boardwalk Empire



Based on a book by Nelson Johnson on historical criminal kingpins, Boardwalk Empire has made its mark on its viewers. The Golden Globe Award-winning show pictures the Prohibition era in the United States where the production, sale and transportation of alcohol was banned. The show, set in Atlantic City, has been praised for its visual style and inescapable darkness.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 13^th, 2013.